Title – Name
Burren Ecotourism Network
Scope / Sector / Industry
Network for the promotion of ecotourism
Country / Region
Ireland, Burren
Why is it good practice?
The Burren Ecotourism Network is a network of tourism businesses that aims to establish the Burren as a leading internationally recognized sustainable tourism area, ensuring the communities’ future economic and social development, as well as the conservation and protection of its environment and heritage.
The Burren Ecotourism Network is considered a good practice network due to the business innovation it demonstrates, encouraging a more collaborative approach between local tourism businesses to open up new business opportunities (innovative business-to-business packages), cost savings (joint destination promotion), as well as for the opportunities given for skill development. The Network effectively combines local environmental/sustainability goals with local economic development, focusing on good sustainable tourism practices for the benefit of the local community.
How is it applied?
The Burren and Cliffs of Moher region of Ireland has been designated a UNESCO Geopark since 2011, as it is of great geological and cultural significance. On the one hand, Burren National Park has an area of about 1500 hectares and is one of the largest and most accessible karst areas in the world. It is considered the only place on the planet where Arctic, Mediterranean and Alpine plants grow side by side, while around 75% of all plant species found in Ireland can be found in the Burren. On the other hand, the Cliffs of Moher rise over 200 meters above the Atlantic Ocean and are over 8 kilometers long. The Cliffs of Moher are a specially protected area for seabirds under EU and Irish law and during the nesting season are home to over 30,000 species of seabirds, including some protected species.
In the management programs of the UNESCO World Geoparks, an important aspect is their sustainable tourism development. The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher had a very well developed tourism offer, with the latter attracting over 1 million visitors annually and the Burren offering a variety of attractions such as the national park, visitor centers, managed archaeological sites and many hiking and biking trails. As a result of the above, in 2008 the Geopark started an effort to cooperate with local tourism businesses to explore the possibilities of developing ecotourism in Burren. This effort led to the creation of the Burren Ecotourism working group, which following an initiative by the National Tourism Development Authority (Fáilte Ireland) became a pilot project for the promotion and expansion of ecotourism in Ireland in 2009.
The two organizations, Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and Burren Ecotourism Network are now working together, having agreed in late 2012 to gather their resources in pursuit of their common goal. Both organizations are committed to promoting responsible tourism that protects the environment and improves the well-being of local residents. They also work together to promote The Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark as a leading sustainable visitor destination, renowned for high standards in visitor experience, conservation and education.
As part of the management of the above initiative, the Burren Ecotourism Network invites more and more tourism businesses operating in the wider Burren area to participate as members of the Network in order to achieve a spirit of cooperation for the development of ecotourism in the Burren. The Network enables a business to initially become a friend of the Network for one year, giving it the opportunity to participate in the Network’s meetings and to have a standard promotion through the Network’s website. The utilization of the remaining services is done only by its official members.
A basic condition for a business to join the Network and obtain membership is to demonstrate a fundamental level of sustainable practices, which is defined in a “Geopark Code of Sustainable Practice for Tourism”. This Code requires tourism businesses to develop an environmental policy and an environmental action plan for their business and implement certain practices in the areas of energy consumption, waste management, water conservation and protection. It also addresses areas such as responsible marketing, green markets and sustainable transport.
Completion of this Code by businesses constitutes the minimum level of training and accreditation to be eligible for membership in the Network. In addition, the Code requires all businesses to complete the “Geopark Leave No Trace” awareness training program. The program provides members with a step-by-step guide to achieving the Code. To participate in the training program, a financial contribution is required, while to join the Network, an annual financial contribution is required, the cost of which is proportional to the number of staff it employs.
The benefits for businesses by joining the network are multiple. Specifically, through their participation in the Network:
- Benefit from focused networking opportunities with like-minded tourism businesses in the region. This enables them to develop innovative visitor experiences and packages, share knowledge and ideas and build relationships and friendships.
- They become part of activities to preserve and protect the natural and local cultural heritage, thereby better understanding the unique landscape in which they live and work.
- They acquire practical skills and tools to make their business “greener”, more sustainable and more economical, through the “Geopark Code of Sustainable Practice for Tourism” program.
- Strengthen their marketing and networking skills and develop their business plan, through the “Geopark Business Support” program.
- They can work together to differentiate the Burren as a destination, making sustainability a driver of competitive advantage, being under the ‘Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark’ umbrella. As members of the Network, businesses have the right to display the Geopark logo in marketing and promotional materials. At the same time, they can obtain a corporate profile on the Network’s visitor website, a business profile on the Burren & Cliffs of Moher Geopark website and app, as well as visibility through the two organizations’ social media. Also, the member companies participate as tourist proposals in promotional activities of the Network to relevant commercial partners and to be shown in other media and networks.
The members – companies of the Network, for their part, agree to:
- Real commitment to the principles of sustainable tourism and their continuous improvement in this area.
- Join one of the subcommittees working on marketing, networking or conservation and protection projects. It is important that members attend a certain number of available training and networking events.
- Obtaining the Geopark’s Code of Sustainable Practice for Tourism for their inclusion in the Network.
Today, the official tourism website of the Network promotes all the products and services of its members. At the same time, a wealth of information is given about the local cultural and natural attractions, as well as the experiences offered (hiking, cycling routes, sports activities, local arts, etc.). A calendar was also created with the planned events and useful accompanying material for visitors (e.g. maps, access information, etc.). Finally, an online store has been created on the website which offers the visitor the direct purchase of products and services from the Network (e.g. “Burren Bag” and gift card), or the indirect purchase, via the members websites, with offered product packages and services that contribute to the promotion of the place.
In addition to the above, the Burren Ecotourism Network, as part of its operation, has designed and implements a set of actions to develop the sustainability and environmental awareness of the community.
The following are indicative:
- Possibility to purchase a specially designed “Burren Bag” from the visitors, for the disposal of garbage, encouraging them to protect the environment. The purchase of the bag is recommended by the network companies themselves.
- Highlighting electric vehicle charging points.
- Organization of initiatives, with community participation, to clean up Burren areas.
- Setting up fountains so visitors can refill their reusable bottle and help eliminate single-use plastic bottles.
- Implementation of environmental awareness initiatives on Earth Day (e.g. waste actions)
- Support the Burren Pine Project, an ecological restoration project of a local NGO. The project aims to restore Ireland’s only native pine, which was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the Burren. The Network encourages visitors to make a donation to this project.
Where is it applied?
The Burren Ecotourism Network was created to highlight the unique natural and cultural heritage of the place. It is therefore addressed to visitors who wish to experience a truly sustainable ecotourism destination, encouraging them to stay longer and benefit from additional experiences and services. However, it also addressed to the entire local community, especially tourism businesses, seeking their collaboration and the creation of a common tourist product that will respect the principles of sustainable development and bring economic, social and environmental benefits to their place.
When did it applied?
The Burren Ecotourism Network, in its current form, began its operation in 2012.
Results
The work of the Burren Ecotourism Network has been recognized and has helped to further attract responsible tourists. In particular, the Network won the “Green Light” award at the Reader Travel Awards 2022 of the Irish Independent, while in 2021 it was named “Best Community Tourism Project” by Lonely Planet. In addition, Burren was named “Best Place to Holiday in Ireland 2022” by the Irish Times.
Other Information
For the implementation of a similar local area network, the following steps can be summarized:
- Identification of a suitable body for the management of the network.
- Creation of a corresponding local/regional code of sustainable practice for tourism.
- Defining a clear process for businesses to meet the requirements of the code in order to become members of the network.
- Promote the code and its benefits to local tourism-related businesses.
- Create infrastructure to support networking between members (website/forum/Facebook group or similar).
- Support businesses to apply for membership.
- Design and implementation of joint actions aimed at local needs (actions include joint destination marketing, skills development, etc.).
The Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark participated in the European program “GeoparkLIFE: Tourism for Conservation” in 2013-2017. The Code of Practice for Sustainable Tourism was developed within the same project.
The official website of the Burren Ecotourism Network is: https://burren.ie/
